The MANNA Institute Seeks Proposals for Critical Research for Patients with Non-Terminal Cancer

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The MANNA Institute, the first research institution of its kind in the nation, has released its first Request for Proposal (RFP) for research partners in the greater Philadelphia region to measure the impacts of MANNA's medically tailored meal program. A division of Philadelphia-based nonprofit MANNA, the MANNA Institute explores the impact of nutrition on health for people with serious illnesses and was founded in March 2019. MANNA provides food as medicine, providing 21 medically tailored meals a week and nutrition counseling to individuals impacted by serious illness.

"MANNA has long been a leader in food as medicine," says MANNA CEO Sue Daugherty, "and we are thrilled to announce this significant step in vital research we need in this field. We look forward to working with our medical research partners in the region."

This RFP and the following pilots will measure the impact of MANNA's medically tailored meal program and nutrition counseling services on a defined population of patients who each have a non-terminal cancer diagnosis and identify appropriate outcomes and potential evaluation tools that can be used to build a robust clinical trial protocol. Nearly 40% of MANNA's current clientele have a primary cancer diagnosis, and nutritional support is both a crucial and challenging need for this population. The purpose of the pilot served by this RFP is to measure treatment adherence, food and nutrient intake, physical and emotional health, quality of life, nutritional status, and healthcare costs. The findings will then be used to design and conduct a randomized clinical trial.

"Research to date tells us that we need to better understand how medically tailored meals affect changes in health and what factors specifically lead to less use of healthcare and cost savings. We are excited to be looking for partners to help us build research studies to specifically address these questions," says Dr. Jule Anne Henstenburg, Director of the MANNA Institute. 

In 2013, MANNA released research that has served as important evidence in instituting medically tailored meal programs by policymakers across the country. This new round of research will build on this 2013 work and seek to improve health outcomes for both patients and providers.

More information about the RFP can be found at mannapa.org. Proposals are due on Wednesday, March 31^st.

ABOUT MANNA

MANNA is an essential service in the City of Philadelphia. Especially for people at acute nutritional risk due to life-threatening illnesses, MANNA prepares and delivers delicious nourishing meals and counsel, empowering individuals to battle illness and improve their quality of life. A small professional staff and 9,500 dedicated volunteers bring more than 150,000 nutritious, home-delivered meals each month to individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. MANNA dietitians promote wellness through nutrition education and counseling. Through these services, MANNA provides opportunities for caring people to extend loving support to families, friends, and neighbors. MANNA is spelled in all capital letters.

ABOUT THE MANNA INSTITUTE

Founded as a division of MANNA in March 2019, the MANNA Institute explores the impact of nutrition on health for people with serious illnesses. The institute leads research and evaluation initiatives, educates healthcare practitioners and consumers, and shares findings and best practices for improved service delivery and healthcare transformation.

Contact: Laura Payne 
MANNA 
(215) 496-2662 x115 
lpayne@mannapa.org

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SOURCE MANNA